Trade Minister Tanna Directs UNBS to Cut Certification Delays, Support SMEs

What the report says

Trade Minister Sanjay Tanna has instructed the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to speed up certification services, reduce delays and make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to access quality approvals. According to Nile Post, he gave the directive during a meeting at the Ministry of Trade headquarters in Kampala with the Minister of State for Trade, Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, and members of the 10th National Standards Council.

Tanna said the ministry continues to receive complaints from businesses about slow product certification and import clearance, and he asked the council to focus on faster service delivery. He said SMEs should be able to obtain the Quality Mark within two weeks. He also linked UNBS’s work to broader national goals, including industrialisation, consumer protection and export competitiveness.

The council’s chairperson, Eng. James Kalibbala, told the meeting that UNBS has made some progress, including clearing backlogs and raising the number of certified enterprises from 501 to 1,270. He also noted an increase in the bureau’s budget for the 2025/26 financial year and said this had helped it develop new standards and recruit more staff.

UNBS Executive Director Eng. James Kasigwa said the agency has launched a new five-year strategic plan running from 2025/26 to 2029/30, aligned with Uganda’s development agenda. He also pointed to staffing and funding constraints, including limited coverage at border points. Gen. Mbadi urged the bureau to guide SMEs more actively so that more local firms can meet standards and access markets.